It’s been four years since I entered the world of journalism and media studies in college. In four years, tons of writing outputs and subject deadlines have tested my stability to survive in this course. But today, I’m one step closer to the finish line and the reality that is waiting outside the classroom. Luckily, I’ve already experienced even just a small glimpse of what it feels to be working through my not-so easy-peasy internship.

Speaking of internship, Village Pipol Magazine got my back in terms of an ideal on-the-job-training (OJT) experience. Well, the term ‘trainee’ isn’t that applicable in VP because of the endless opportunities that other interns do not experience in other companies.

Unlike some companies who do nothing but to ask you to buy coffees, food, or leave you without doing anything on your table, VP is far from that expectation. They let us shine and apply what we have learned in college by giving us the opportunity to explore deeper. In fact, my expectation wasn’t that high to the point I might be exploited, which is ‘quite the opposite’. VP has indeed contributed to my character and skills development.

Village of amazing people

Perhaps, one of the hardest challenges in college is looking for a good company that would surely develop yourself. Well, as I’ve said, VP always got your back!

In four months of being a VP intern, I felt at home while doing my job as a writer. I got the chance to interact even with its founder and other higher bosses who were quite intimidating at first, which is rare in some companies. True to its publication name, they treat us as if we really live in one village without discrimination whatever and whoever you are.

VP editors have also a good sense of journalistic editing. If you ever feel satisfied with your writing skills, it’ll soon change once you see how clean and creative their works are. On top of that, they also give us the freedom to write anything we want. My co-intern used this chance to promote her idol ‘SB19’ and hype its fans. At the same time, it becomes her inspiration to continue her passion for writing and help boost the readership of VP.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with celebrities

Interviewing famous people especially celebrities could be the most challenging, yet exciting task in media industry. In fact, one of the reasons why I took journalism is to get a chance to interview some of my K-pop idols in case I’d be working in a magazine soon. But since it’s impossible, interviewing celebrities about their personal life is already something else for me.

And if you’re a fan of celebrities, VP is what you are looking for. As of now, I had three cover stories with my co-interns featuring Carmina Villarroel, Kylie Verzosa, Victor Harry, and the actors of the Filipino adaptation of Descendants of the Sun. Honestly, this opportunity rarely happens to other interns, especially in those bigger publications. But for VP, interns are also capable of doing the task of other regular writers.

Aside from that, one of my best experiences here also is the chance to participate in VP Choice Awards as part of the production staff. In fact, different local celebrities and famous personalities also attended the event which I had to bring them to their respective seats. At first, I didn’t expect this would become a big event but since VP is taking itself to a higher level, it became successful and it exceeded my expectations.

You’ll explore different writing fortes

Prior to my internship here, I only had limited writing skills. There were instances when our PR manager asked me to write about technology and mobile phones, which I’ve never done before. Everything was completely difficult not until I learned some techniques, well, slowly but surely. One writing style may not be applicable to some stories. The ability to write in different journalistic forms is what also VP can teach you.

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As a matter of fact, at first, I was afraid not to reach their expectation in writing. But with the encouragement and help of my editors, everything becomes possible as long as you put an effort into it. I also learned the way how people in magazines write to attract readers. I remember, my supervisor once told me in order to catch the reader’s attention, you must know how to play with them through creative words and unique approach.

Lastly, I also got to know how SEO and readability work in websites. Seeing the smiley turned into red which indicates a poor SEO and readability makes me feel stressed. It makes me think I have poor writing skills. But as time goes by, I’ve learned how to make it green which indicates good SEO and readability. Let’s talk about improvement, I guess?

In fact, this article marks my last task and last day as an intern in VP. While writing this, I realized that you don’t need a not-so-big company to have a perfect internship experience. As for the main tip, choose a company that will let you experience the feel of being more than just a trainee. Choose the one that will let you apply and develop your skills while enjoying your task, like how VP handles interns.

Thank you so much, Village Pipol!